Missionary Friends

Some friends of ours in Thailand sent us a description of their weekend which included a visit to a Bhuddist temple. They described the situation well and included a couple of good photos.

This weekend we took the opportunity to take a long drive on Saturday. We drove to the north of the city and through the surrounding mountains a bit. It was lovely to be up high out of the pollution of the city and see what there is up there. Later in the afternoon when it was cooler we drove up Doi Suthep. The base of this mountain is right at the edge of the city, and up towards the top is a huge Buddhist temple.

Every time we visit a Buddhist temple, we're struck again how empty their worship is. At points inside the temple area, we stood off to the side watching as people were bowing down in front of the statues and offering their flowers and incense hoping that their 'prayers' would be answered. Others were putting money in small dishes or pouring oil into dishes that represented the days of the week they particularly wanted good luck on.

There is such darkness in this country. It's so sad to see people bowing down before a piece of wood and try to adhere to all these rules, yet with no assurance of salvation. We're praying for opportunities to be used by God to share the Truth with people here. May we be ready for them when they come, and be able to share about the One who can fill this emptiness in their hearts.

As we stood up on the mountain at the temple looking out over the city of Chiang Mai, we were thankful to God for bringing us here and for all of you who are praying for us. Please pray specifically this week that we may have more opportunities to share Christ with those around us. We can't wait to see who the Lord will bring along next.

Jesus said: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." This is a simple biblical truth for which we praise the living God!